Improved washing-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEE JOHNSON, OF NEW YORK, N.Y.

IMPROVED WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 44,5041, dated October 25, 1864.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JosEE JOHNSON, of the city, county. and State of New York, have in vented a certain new and uset'ul Improvement in Washing-h/Iachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specication.

Figure lis a side elevation. tical section on the line S S in Fig.3,and Fig. 3 is a plan view showing my machine in an empty condition. Fig. 4 is a transverse sec tion ot' the parts in the bottom of the box or tub when the machine is in operation.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, by the aid ofthe drawings and of the letters of refercnce marked thereon.

A Ais awatertight vessel, formed with inclined sides, and supported on stout legs at a convenient height, as represented. rIhe inclination ot' the sides is interrupted near the topby interposing a short perpendicular portion, as represented, the ett'ect of which is to check the tendency of the water to slop over, in consequence ot' the oscillating motion of the pounder and of the clothes and roller.

B is a pounder formed of' parallel slats, with suitably-termed teeth or rounded shoulders at their lower ends, and b is a thin wash-board with a ridged or grooved upper surface, securely Xed upon the upper side of the pounder B, as represented.

B isa handle or cylindrical bar, by which it is operated. rIhis pounder is slid by the direct action ofthe hands ot' the operator being alternately drawn upward on the inclined side ot' the box or tub A and thrust downward in the reverse direction. In this movement it slides on the slats or raised ways a a slight elevationsay onehalt` inch clear ofthe inner surface of the inclined side ot' the tub. (l indicates an irregular mass of clothes which is subjected to the washing operation.

I) indicates the water, which is by preference hot, and more or less'saturated with soap, as usual. 1

E is a heavy roller of locust or lignum vitre Fig. 2 is averwood. It is desirable that its specific gravity should be somewhat greater than the water. Very nearly the same ei'ect may be attained either by using adense wood or by loading the roller with metal at its ends or in its interior; or it may be loaded by a mass of any suitable character, mounted exterior to the roller and connected by arms or links. I turn on the ends of the roller or drive into the ends suitable guides or journals, as indicated by e e. The ends of these journals or guides e e touch against or come very near to the inner perpendicular faces or ends of the box or tub A.

G Gr are links or slight strips of wood with a hole at each end. rlhe hole at one end tits over and embraces the corresponding journal e of the roller E, and the hole at the other end fits over and turns upon a pin, H, lixed in the inside of the boX A. Smooth nails or screws ofthe ordinary character, with rounded heads and shanks, may be employed to form the journals e and the pins H; but in such case I take care to employ nails or screws ot' brass or of some metal which will not rust and discolor the clothes. I can use iron nails or screws for this purpose, however, if the surfaces are carefully tinned or otherwise ctticiently protected from oxidation. The roller E tends by its gravity to rest upon and press down with a gentle force against the clothes in a direction at right angles to that of the pounder B. The inertia ot' the roller E acts, in addition to its gravity, to resist the escape ofthe clothes from the pounderB when a blow is struck. The action of the pounder B tends to roll the mass of clothes by striking with most force at the very bottom of the mass. The form and arrangement of the roller E allow it to revolve with great freedom, and when the parts are properly proportioned the clothes at each blow ofthe pounder change their position and partially roll over with a i gentle and very desirable change of position, at the sides, whichare adapted to hold it ata and also with a slight rubbing action throughout the whole mass. At each blow the roller E jumps or moves away from the mass of clothes, but it returns immediately after, and is pressing gently against the clothes in time for the next blow. I nd that the size or diameter of the roller E is important. I have been most successful with rollers of locust wood which were j ust three and three fourths inches in diameter; but I do not confine myself to that particular material or those pre cise dimensions.

The whole or a portion ofthe top of my machine may be covered by a lid of wood; or a simple cloth may be thrown across to diminish the escape ot' steam. In case a wooden cover is employed, I can adapt it to be entirely removed from the tub A at will, or to be elevated by turning on hinges; or I can make a portion permanently fixed and another porY tion removable.

I have indicated by red outlines a cover which is both removable and hinged, it being intended to allow a part, I, to be lifted by turning on the hinge i, or to allow the hingedv art I, and alsothe part J, which rests constantly on thc tub A when in use, to be readily lifted off when required.

K is a plug, by the removal of which the tub may be readily drained when required.

I. do not considerthe links or arms G necessary to the success of my invention. The roller E will maintain its place and operate in very nearly the same manner whether the links G and pins H are employed or not.

The roll E may be roughened or grooved in any approved manner as frequently employed in washing-machines; but I have found a plain cylindrical roll to answer well, and I iind that such a roll turns a little at each blow O" the pounder, and that it and the clothes rei volve slowly in this manner, so as to present all parts very uniformly and eficiently.

The advantages of my invention are best exhibited in Fig. 4, showing that when the pounder B is pressed downward to the bottom of the tub it forces the clothes against the roller E, by the use of which, arranged as represented relatively to the pounder, I get a pressing and squeezing action in addition t) the usual effect of pounding. The downward motion of the pounder B causes the mass of clothes C to roll slightly in the direction indicated by the arrows as well as to be compressed and the several members or parts of the mass to be gently rubbed together throughout its whole extent. As the pounder B is raised after each blow, the weight of the roller Ecauses the clothes to fall back prompt-i y under the pounder for the next blow.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows In washingmachines, in connection with a pounder, B, the employment of a roller, E, arranged as described, with or without guidinglinks, so as to operate in combination with the pounder, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

JOSEE JOLINSON.

Witnesses THOMAs DREW S'rE'rsoN, 1). W. STE'rsoN. 

